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Qantas Group will extend schedule changes across its network into the first quarter of the 2027 financial year as the impact of the Iran war continues.
Citing “significantly elevated” fuel prices and “continued strong demand for travel to Europe”, Qantas and Jetstar will see a two-percentage-point reduction in international capacity for 1Q27, and extend current domestic cuts of five percentage points until the end of September.
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“Qantas will continue to redeploy some aircraft to operate more flights between Australia and Europe, providing Qantas customers already booked to travel on partner airlines with an alternative option should they wish to change,” the group said in a statement.
“Qantas’ additional Perth-Rome flights have been extended another three months, until the end of October. Flights to Paris will revert to three return flights per week as planned in August and continue to operate from Sydney through Singapore. The changes will provide an additional 2,000 seats to and from Europe each week.
“Qantas and Jetstar have also reduced capacity on other markets. This includes Qantas’ Sydney to Bengaluru service being temporarily suspended from August and resuming at the end of October, while both carriers have reduced capacity across the Tasman.”
Qantas last month switched Paris flights from Perth to operate from Sydney via Singapore, adding two extra services per week and allowing 60 extra customers per flight, while Perth–Rome is flying daily and Perth–Singapore 10 times per week.
Perth–London continues to operate via Singapore, though London–Perth remains a non-stop service, while Perth–Singapore is timed to connect with the Singapore–Paris flights.
Qantas is accommodating the changes by pulling some of its 787-9 Dreamliners from US services and redeploying A330s from domestic routes.
Domestically, the Flying Kangaroo has reduced capacity on some major trunk routes, and suspended or axed several QantasLink and Jetstar regional services.
From 18 May, the Adelaide–Mount Gambier route will be suspended indefinitely, while Qantas’ Melbourne–Coffs Harbour will be paused until 14 June and Melbourne–Hamilton Island until 28 June. Jetstar will suspend Sydney–Busselton until 18 September, and Darwin–Gold Coast until 12 October.
Qantas says demand on Mount Gambier services has become unsustainable, and Australian Aviation understands recent load factors have dipped below 20 per cent. Its exit will leave the Adelaide–Mount Gambier route served only by Rex.
Rival Virgin Australia has also modestly pared back its domestic services.
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